Ramapo and Ridgewood shock top seeds to win sectional titles by Sean Farrell of The Record
CHATHAM – The writing on the back of Ramapo’s shirts said it all.
“Expect nothing, earn everything.”
Both of Bergen County’s finalists thrived in an unusual role as underdogs on Saturday.
Both didn’t feel or play like one.
Ramapo and Ridgewood each earned sectional championships by going on the road to beat one of the state’s best teams.
The Green Raiders knocked off top-ranked Chatham in a 10-8 win during the North Group 2 final.
The Maroons stunned the tournament favorite by getting a 15-8 victory over previously-unbeaten Bridgewater-Raritan in North Group 4.
“To be the best, we got to beat the best,” Ridgewood’s Dylan Peabody said. “That’s what we did.”
Championship-caliber teams have become the expectation for Ridgewood under coach Mike Pounds.
They’ve now won five sectional titles in the last six years.
But this one came as somewhat of a surprise.
Bridgewater-Raritan came into the day at 17-0 with a near-perfect defense.
The depth and speed of Ridgewood’s offense was just too much to handle. Seven different players scored for the Maroons in their 14th straight win.
Wylie Sherman and Quin Peene each had a team-high four goals.
“We all trust each other,” Peene said. “Everyone is capable of scoring the ball and when we move it around and dodge, no one can stop us.”
The Maroons, as they’ve done all season, found a way to finish the game strong.
Three goals from Peene in the last five minutes ended any doubt.
The behind-the-back shot he buried added some flair to the upset.
“This was the best team we played all year and we did a great job with them,” Peabody said. “It was a different score than probably most people anticipated, but we believed in ourselves. We know that when we play our best, that’s going to be the result.”
The result for Ramapo was just as sweet.
The Green Raiders were driven all season by a double-overtime loss to Chatham in last year’s final.
They were confident going into the rematch with almost everyone returning. And they wanted to prove a point.
“Last year, it was Summit’s bracket,” attack Andrew Robbins said. “This year, it was Chatham’s bracket. We wanted to make it our bracket. We didn’t want to listen to what anybody else was saying. We knew as a team, it was ours.”
The game turned around for Ramapo, as Robbins took charge.
The senior gave the Green Raiders their first lead by capping off a 4-0 run in the first half.
He collected a pass slightly behind him and never broke stride on a transition goal in the second quarter.
“He’s not intimidated by anybody,” coach Tom Albano said. “He’s worked unbelievably hard over the past four years. Whatever defenseman you put out there on him, he’s going to get his chances. He’s going to get his looks. But it’s also a testament to our offense. We have six threats on the field who can score.”
Robbins recorded a hat trick and sophomore Jack Griffin scored another four goals.
That provided enough of a cushion for a strong Ramapo defense led by Jack Scordato that held the Cougars to one of their lowest-scoring games of the season.
The Green Raiders are now 54-25 over the last four seasons under Albano and have found a level of consistency that once eluded the program.
No win meant more than this one to end an 11-year sectional title drought.
“I was just standing there with my arms up because I couldn’t believe it,” Scordato said, on the moment the game ended.
“When I saw everyone rushing towards us, it was one of the happiest moments of my life. It’s something I’ll never forget.”